1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tire testing machine conveyor that sends a tire to a tire testing machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
When there is any non-uniform portion having a variation in elastic modulus or dimensional shape in the circumferential direction of a tire attached to an automobile or the like, the non-uniform portion causes a vibration during a high-speed rotation, and hence running performance is degraded. For this reason, the tire is subjected to a circumferential uniformity test by a tire testing machine after a vulcanizing process. The tire testing machine performs a test in a manner such that a bead portion of the inner periphery of the tire is interposed between rim members, the tire is attached to a rotating spindle, a predetermined internal pressure is applied to the tire, and the tire is rotationally driven while being pressed against a road surface replacement member such as a drum. In general, lubricant (lubricating liquid) is applied to the bead portion of the tire to be tested in order to smoothly interpose the tire between the rim members. As such a tire testing machine, there is known a tire testing machine in which a tire to be tested is sent by a tire testing machine conveyor to a center position (a rotation shaft) of a spindle (for example, see JP 2007-279057 A and JP 2012-220319 A).
Then, in the tire testing machine conveyor that sends the tire to be tested to the center position of the spindle, the plurality of conveyors are connected to each other, and the tire is sent to the center position of the spindle in a falling state by the plurality of conveyors. Furthermore, there is also known a tire testing machine in which the tire is attached to the lateral side of the spindle in a standing state.
Further, in the tire testing machine, there is a demand for smoothly and fast conveying the tire to the test station in order to shorten the time taken for the test. Therefore, in the tire testing machine conveyor disclosed in JP 2007-279057 A, a photoelectric sensor that detects a front end of the tire in the conveying direction is provided at a predetermined position of an entrance of the test station, and the front end of the tire in the conveying direction is positioned at the predetermined position. Accordingly, the tire is conveyed to the test station by a small-diameter tire so that the tire center is conveyed at the positioning position. Thus, the conveying distance to the test station is shortened, and the conveying time is shortened.